Curtis Bensch, Ph.D.

Department of Agronomy Oklahoma Panhandle Research & Extension Center
Oklahoma Panhandle State University Oklahoma State University
301 Sewell-Loofbourrow Hall Department of Plant & Soil Sciences
Goodwell, OK  73939 Route 1, Box 86M
(580) 349-1503 Goodwell, OK  73939
cbensch@opsu.edu (580) 349-5440
  cbensch@okstate.edu
   

Education

Ph.D. in Agronomy with emphasis in Weed Science.  Kansas State University.  2001.  Dissertation Title: Amaranthus Competition in Soybean.

M.S. in Agronomy with emphasis in Weed Science. Oklahoma State University. 1993. Thesis Title: Characterization of the Resistance Mechanism for Terbacil Tolerant Alfalfa.

B.S. in Agronomy and Ag Business (Double Major). Oklahoma Panhandle State University. 1991.

 

Professional Experience

Assistant Professor of Agronomy / Research & Extension Specialist Ë Oklahoma Panhandle State University / Oklahoma State University Ë  Goodwell, OK

Oklahoma Panhandle State University (40% teaching appointment). Teach Range Management, Weed Science, and Soil Science. Academic advisor for approximately 15 students.

Oklahoma State University Ë  (60% research/extension appointment). Stationed at the Oklahoma Panhandle Research & Extension Center in Goodwell, OK. Research emphasis in weed science, soybean production, forages, range management, and cropping systems.

 

Post Doctoral Research Assistant Ë Kansas State University Ë  Manhattan, KS.

Conducted a multi-disciplinary project to study the effect of glyphosate resistant cropping systems on the ecosystem. The study consisted of main plot treatments of no-till and conventional tillage, with subplot treatments of a conventional herbicide, and early and late applications of glyphosate. The effect on soil moisture, soil quality, wildlife habitat, and insect and pathogen populations was studied. The study is currently still ongoing at Manhattan and Hays, Kansas.

 

Graduate Research Assistant Ë  Kansas State University Ë  Manhattan, KS.

Teaching:

Instructor for the AGRON 330 Weed Management course during the 1999 Spring and Fall semesters with 50-60 students enrolled each semester.

                    Developed new teaching materials for Weed Management lecture and laboratory.

Responsible for course instruction, course material development for lecture and lab, test preparation and grading, and supervision of three laboratory Teaching Assistants.

Served as a faculty member at the request of the Agronomy Department Head during the 1999 fall semester while a weed science faculty member position was vacant.

Research:

Conducted research on competition of redroot pigweed, Palmer amaranth and common waterhemp (Amaranthus spp.) in soybean. Evaluated the effect of time of emergence and density of Amaranthus on soybean yield.

Conducted research leading to the development of two new methods for quantifying light interception of weeds within a crop. The first method utilized light measurements above and within an intermixed crop/weed canopy and 4 equations to partition light interception between the crop and weed. The second method quantified the linear relationship between the size of the weed shadow and time of day when the weed overtopped the crop. The size of the weed shadow was estimated using a cotangent function of the solar altitude.

Agronomy Instructor Ë  Murray State College Ë  Tishomingo, OK.

Instructor for undergraduate agronomy and horticulture courses. Responsible for teaching, course material development for both lecture and lab, and test preparation and grading for Plant Science, Soil Science, Range Management, Agroecoystems, Agronomic Crops, and Topics in Agriculture.

Academic advisor for approximately 35 students each semester. Advised students with decisions regarding selection of a major, enrollment, and transfer of courses.

Coached collegiate crops and soils judging teams which competed at state and national events.

Responsible for overseeing and administration of the MSC annual FFA Interscholastic contest with more than 900 high school contestants in attendance.

Supervised utilization of the College Farm including forage production, weed control, and academic use.

 

Graduate Research Assistant Ë  Agronomy Department, Oklahoma State University Ë                     Stillwater,   OK.

Investigated an alfalfa cultivar 'OK 182' with resistance to terbacil as compared to the unselected parental cultivar 'Cimarron.'  Growth response studies indicated a 78% increase in tolerance to terbacil over the unselected parental cultivar. Photosynthetic electron transport was inhibited similarly in both cultivars when isolated thylakoids were exposed to a wide range of terbacil concentrations indicating that tolerance was not due to reduced sensitivity at the site-of-action. A similar proportion of total radiolabel was translocated in both strains indicating that differential translocation was not a factor in the tolerance mechanism. Once in the leaves, terbacil was rapidly metabolized to a glucosidic conjugate by both strains. Enhanced tolerance to terbacil in 'OK 182' was attributed to decreased terbacil uptake.

Developed a new laboratory procedure for screening atrazine resistant plants. A microtitre plate version of the 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol (DCPIP) reduction assay was developed. The new procedure is much quicker than the conventional procedure, taking only 13 minutes to load and read 96 samples using the microtitre plate assay compared to 5.5 hours using the conventional procedure.

Conducted research on efficacy of pasture, range, and alfalfa herbicides.

Member of weeds judging team competing at the Southern Weed Science Society contest.

 

Crop Consultant Ë  Servi-Tech Ë  Ulysses, KS.

Assisted with consulting the production of corn, sorghum, wheat, sunflowers, and alfalfa as a summer intern. Scouted and monitored fields for insect, disease, and weed pests and recommended appropriate control strategies. Monitored crop water use and scheduled irrigation applications.

 

Additional Experience

Meat Processor * Oklahoma Panhandle State University *  Goodwell, OK.

Combine Operator *  Kemp Custom Harvesting * Darrouzett, TX.

Quality Control Technician *  Eagle-Picher *  Joplin, MO.

Family Farm *  Locust Grove Farms *  Logan, OK.

 

Awards & Achievements
2000     1st place poster in Weed Biology section of NCWSS graduate student contest.

2000     The Kansas State University nominee for the American Society of Agronomy Gerald O.          Mott Meritorious Graduate Student Award in Crop Science.

2000     Member of 3rd place team at NCWSS weeds judging contest.

2000     2nd place individual in weed identification at NCWSS weeds judging contest.

2000     The Ray I. Throckmorton Graduate Scholarship, Kansas State University

1999     The Irvin and Dora Mae Atkins Scholarship, Kansas State University

1999     2nd place individual in weed identification at NCWSS weeds judging contest.

1999     2nd place poster in Weed Biology section of NCWSS graduate student contest.

1998     2nd place paper in Weed Biology section of NCWSS graduate student contest.

1998     Member of 3rd place team at NCWSS weeds judging contest.

1997-99 Kansas State University Graduate School Ph.D. Fellowship.

1996     Nominated by student for Who' s Who of College Teachers in American                           Universities and Colleges.

1990     Outstanding Senior in the Agriculture College, Oklahoma Panhandle State University.

1990     Outstanding Senior in Ag-Business, Oklahoma Panhandle State University.

 

Publications

          Refereed Journal Articles:

Bensch, C.N., S.M. Welch, M.J. Horak, and D. E. Peterson. 2001. Measuring light interception in an intermixed crop-weed canopy. (In preparation).

Bensch, C.N., S.M. Welch, M.J. Horak, and D. E. Peterson. 2001. Measuring light interception and the area of influence of Amaranthus palmeri in Glycine max. (In preparation).

Bensch, C.N., M.J. Horak, and D.E. Peterson. 2001. Competition of three Amaranthus species in Glycine max. (Submitted to Weed Sci.).

Anderson, M. P., C. N. Bensch, J.F. Stritzke, and J.L. Caddel. 1995. Uptake, translocation, and metabolism in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) selected for enhanced tolerance to terbacil. Weed Sci. 43:365-369.

Anderson, M. P., C. N. Bensch, and J. F. Stritzke. 1994. A rapid microtitre plate assay for determining sensitivity to photosystem II herbicides. Weed Sci. 42:517-522.

 

Paper Abstracts in Proceedings:

Bensch, C.N., M.J. Horak, and D.E. Peterson. 2000. Amaranthus competition in soybean. Proc. North Central Weed Sci. Soc. (In print)

Bensch, C.N., S.M. Welch, M.J. Horak, and D.E. Peterson. 1999. Measuring light interception by Palmer amaranth in soybean. 1999. Proc. North Central Weed Sci. Soc. 54:43-44.

Bensch C.N., S.M. Welch, M.J. Horak, and D.E. Peterson. 2000. Measuring light interception in an intermixed crop-weed canopy. Proc. Weed Science Society of America. 40:133.

Bensch, C.N., M.J. Horak, and S.M. Welch. 1998. Light interception of Palmer Amaranth in soybean. Proc. North Central Weed Sci. Soc. 53:148 .

Bensch, C.N., M.J. Horak, and D.E. Peterson. 1997. Competition of three Amaranthus Species in Soybeans. Proc. North Central Weed Sci. Soc. 52:148.

Bensch, C. N., M. P. Anderson, and J. F. Stritzke. 1993. Characterization of the resistance mechanism for Terbacil tolerant alfalfa. Proc. South. Weed Sci. Soc. 46: 267.

Bensch, C. N., M. P. Anderson, and J. F. Stritzke. 1992. A rapid assay for the determination of site-of-action resistance to photosystem II inhibiting herbicides. Proc. South. Weed Sci. Soc.45:315.

Caddel, J. L., J. F. Stritzke, M. P. Anderson, and C. N. Bensch. 1992. Alfalfa germplasm with resistance to terbacil. American Forage and Grassland Council Proc. 1:162-165.